Make room, Chick-fil-A, these Milwaukee restaurants are coming to new Bucks arena, too

Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.

• The new (still-unnamed) Milwaukee Bucks arena is pretty much done. The new (still-unnamed) Milwaukee Bucks arena opens August 26. The new (still-unnamed) Milwaukee Bucks arena will have a Chick-fil-A, which some people are into and some people are not. But here’s something we can all agree on: the new (still-unnamed) Milwaukee Bucks arena will have a ton of Milwaukee restaurants, and that’s pretty cool.

Earlier this week, the arena unveiled MKEat, a “dynamic, locally-focused food and beverage program.” Which local brands will be part of MKEat? Glad you asked:

Led by the venue’s senior executive chef, Kenneth Hardiman, and best-in-class food and beverage provider Levy, MKEat will feature popular and diverse local culinary establishments, including Klement’s Sausage, Sobelman’s, The Laughing Taco, Gold Rush Chicken, Iron Grate BBQ, FreshFin Poké, Cedar Crest Ice Cream, Colectivo Coffee and Milwaukee Pretzel Company. Unique to the arena will be Canal Street Pizza, a new fresh pizza concept that was developed in conjunction with the Fallucca family, the original pizza family of Milwaukee and the founders of Palermo’s Pizza. Additionally, core menu items throughout the arena will include Klement’s Sausage and Wisconsin-based Sargento Cheese.

MKEat will have some of the best selections of Wisconsin-brewed beer, reflecting Milwaukee’s rich brewing history. Working with Bucks longtime partner and Miller Brewing Company, the arena’s beverage program is built upon Miller’s locally brewed and globally-acclaimed beers. Complementing Miller’s product offering, local lifestyle brand Drink Wisconsinbly will entitle and curate three craft beer bars, presenting a rotating list of exclusive Wisconsin micro-beers.

The arena will also be home to the Southside Market, which was designed as a tribute to the popular Milwaukee Public Market. The Southside Market will serve a variety of food and beverage options that will not be found anywhere else in the arena, providing a differentiated experience for guests on the upper level.

MKEats, like the new (still-unnamed) Milwaukee Bucks arena, opens August 26. [Milwaukee Bucks]

• The Oriental Theatre reopens August 10 under the stewardship of Milwaukee Film. We are very, very excited. If you, too, would like to be excited, check out some of the films included in the Oriental’s newly announced, limited-run “Craft Cinema” series: Filmworker, Barry Lyndon, Summer Of ’84, Back To Burgundy, Bamboozled, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, and more. [OnMilwaukee]

• Have you always wanted to hang out at a bar, enjoy a drink, and indulge in some DIY crafting. Sure? You’ll soon be able to at Rec Room Craft Co., coming this fall to 219 S. Second St. [Milwaukee Business Journal]

• A new high-end bakery, Greige Patisserie, is opening July 21 at 408 W. Florida St. [OnMilwaukee]